Why Localization Needs to Include Local History

March 4, 2019 Sophia Patrick

Localization is not just about translating
your content into the local language. It also needs to take into account the local
customs, culture, beliefs, and traditions. Your content should mirror how your target
audience talks, thinks, and acts. Effective localization involves reviewing many
things – text, screenshots, graphics, images, symbols, colors, photographs,
numbers, date formats, locations – and the local history.

Avoid
Inappropriate Content

Culturally inappropriate content that
disrespects local history can have disastrous consequences and lead to
marketing failures. Here are some examples:

In Arabic culture women are supposed to wear headscarves and a website featuring a woman with short, uncovered hair or a ponytail will be regarded as offensive.

A website related to opportunities for African Americans should not showcase a happy white family.

Depicting gourmet food images in regions which have been struggling with extreme poverty is unacceptable.

Pay
Attention to Flags

Flags and their colors and symbols carry
significant meanings in many countries. Flags are national symbols that evoke
strong emotional responses. For example, a flag may denote a long and painful
struggle for freedom from colonization.

Flags
and Branding

In some countries, it is offensive to use
the national flag in any form in branding or on packaging, while it is
acceptable in others. For instance, in the United States, it is a matter of
great pride and honor to wear the colors of the national flag, and it is
acceptable for brands or products to feature this symbol of American pride. In Italy,
for example, the Italian flag colors can be used on shoes and clothes. But for
some ethnic groups using national flags can ruin your campaign.

Example: The U.S. Postal Service had to get rid
of brochures placed in more than eleven thousand post offices because they
featured the communist Vietnamese flag image. This image was particularly offensive to Vietnamese-American immigrants who had suffered under the
oppressive communist regime.

Slogans and Tag Lines Can Spell Trouble

The use of certain words can also be disrespectful of the local history.
For instance, it is well known that the people of America have had a long
struggle related to the words “whites” and “blacks.” Nivea
had to pull its deodorant ad that declared White Is Purity after people protested
that the slogan was racist and the company was deluged with comments about
white supremacy.

A Country’s
War History

In many countries
with painful war histories, tag lines that make fun of or disrespect this history
can lead to the failure of a campaign. For instance:

The Japanese would find a tagline such as “boom” with a
mushroom cloud logo offensive because of their history of nuclear disaster.

In India it would be offensive to showcase anything denoting the supremacy
of the British over the natives because of the country’s long independence
struggle against the British colonizers.

Some countries or cultures have suffered due to atrocities from other
cultures and showcasing the latter as heroes will evoke strong emotions.

Why
use Localize?

The success of localization services depends on having in-depth and relevant cultural knowledge. Localize has helped 500 plus companies to overcome complex challenges in translation and localization. We provide cutting-edge localization tools which enable highly streamlined translation services optimized for web, mobile, back-end, and file-based content. All of this means that your business benefits from effective communication with your target audience, enhanced user experience, and a great bottom line. Contact us today to see how we can help transform your global business.